"I am sure, I don't enjoy it a bit more than you do, sir," replied the skipper, somewhat astonished at the remark. "You certainly need not have engaged in this affair if you had not been so disposed." "I think I speak the honest truth when I say that I believed these villains would escape if I did not do something; and that was my only motive in undertaking to capture them, or at least in watching to see where they went," replied Dory, as though he were defending himself from a criminal charge. "Perhaps I did more than was necessary, but I could not very well help doing it." "Two-thirds of the students would have considered it as a jolly time, if they could have taken part in the affair. At any rate, we shall hand over the whole of the crowd to the principal, and he can do as he pleases with them." "He will put them through, you may be sure of that." Dory went forward to see if there was any further movement to remove the cover from the hatchway. But he felt, now that the Sylph was in sight, that the battle had been fought, and that the victory had been won. He could not help thinking of what the instructor had said to him, and he began to look back at the events of the morning. If he had returned to Beech Hill with the carpenter, when he conducted Angy to the school, Mack and Chuck would certainly have found the tender where he left it, returned to the schooner, and made their escape. This was the way it looked to him, and he was satisfied with what he had done. "I should like to know what all this means," said Ripples, as Dory passed him in the waist on his return from the hatchway. Dory looked at him, not being able to understand what he meant; for he thought he ought to be able to comprehend his situation. But the fellow looked as though he had a grievance. "It means that you are bound with your arms behind you, and are made fast to the rail. I should think you would be able to take that in," he replied. "But for what reason am I bound? Are you and the other fellow lake-pirates?" demanded Ripples. "I rather think not; and it seems to me that the boot is on the other leg. Your party were engaged in a robbery, and you have all come to grief," added the skipper. "Engaged in a robbery!" exclaimed Ripples. "Do you mean to say that I was engaged in a robbery?" "The fellow alongside of you certainly was, as I shall be called upon to testify in court. You were found in his company, and did your part in defending the pirate-schooner," replied Dory. Ripples looked intensely indignant. CHAPTER XXV. A SELFISH VIEW OF AN IMPORTANT QUESTION. Mr. Fred Ripples was evidently a wild young man, but he looked indignant enough to be honest when charged with being a defender of the pirate-schooner. Dory knew that he had not been with the original party, and had come on board of the vessel since the robbery of the office had been committed.